Ingredient to Avoid: Talc

Look at the ingredients list of most eyeshadows, blushers, face paint, bronzers... chances are the first ingredient you'll see is talc. But what actually is talc and why should we be worried about its use in cosmetics?

Talc is an incredibly soft mineral, with excellent oil-absorbing properties, so is frequently used in cosmetics to give them a silky feel, as well as being sold on its own as talcum powder, which is promoted for use on babies and in intimate areas, so you would think that it must be a super safe substance. But is it?

One issue with talc is that the areas in which it is mined naturally contain asbestos, because the kind of soil conditions where talc occurs happen to also be the right soil conditions for asbestos. You've probably heard of this carcinogenic substance, and it is of course banned in the UK. However, there are a number of organisations who claim that the current screening that talc undergoes for asbestos is inadequate, so that some asbestos slips through the net and into cosmetics put out for sale. It's worth remembering that inhaling even a tiny amount of asbestos risks mesothelioma and general lung cancer. The government-licensed Scientific Analytical Institute in the USA is one such group unhappy with current consumer protection from contaminated talc products. They tested a range of products in 2020 and found numerous talc-containing products with asbestos, including Johnson’s Baby Powder and ​children’s makeup sold by Claire’s. 

​In 2019, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration found asbestos in nearly 20% of 52 cosmetic samples collected around the country, so the problem is not an insignificant issue. Although the EU does ban asbestos from cosmetics, if screening facilities are inadequate, then there is no guarantee that products sold in the UK or EU are asbestos-free either, as the video clip above shows. Remember that most makeup sold in cheaper stores is made in China, where there is no regulation on asbestos. 

But is asbestos contamination the only problem with talc? Maybe not. As long ago as the 1970s, a study at Cardiff University indicated that pure talc could cause ovarian cancer. This didn't stop companies like Johnson & Johnson promoting their talcum powder for use by women in the genital area, as well as for use on babies. The Mesothelioma Center reports that 'Researchers at Mount Sinai Hospital caution that even breathing in talcum powder that isn’t contaminated with asbestos can lead to lung problems or death.' Meanwhile, the World Health Organisation states that 'genital (perineal) use of talc is possibly carcinogenic to humans', and if the talc is contaminated with asbestos then it is 'definitely carcinogenic to humans'. The Mesothelioma Center goes on to say: 'Parents should not use talcum powder on babies because of the risk of aspiration that may lead to death.'

One of the biggest distributors of talc, Johnson & Johnson, announced in 2020 that it would cease sales of its talcum powder in the US and Canada, and two years later it announced it would replace the product worldwide. It claimed this was due to 'a decline in sales and “misinformation” around the product’s safety', since the company insisted that talc was completely safe. However,  by this time Johnson & Johnson had already paid out billions of dollars in lawsuits to plaintiffs who argued their cancer had been directly caused by contaminated talc in Johnson & Johnson's products. In October 2021, they declared themselves bankrupt after transferring their assets to a subsidiary, in order to avoid any further legal action. Fortunately, judges ruled that this cynical move did not exempt the company from its pending lawsuits, and so court cases continue, with Johnson & Johnson still paying out millions of dollars each year to cancer victims who claim that the talc in the company's products was responsible for their illness. Other companies who have been ordered to pay compensation in similar talc lawsuits include Avon, Colgate-Palmolive, Vanderbilt Minerals and Old Spice (Whittaker, Clark & Daniels). 

Photo by Peter Kalonji on Unsplash

Of course, with an illness that usually develops decades after the exposure that triggered it, like many cancers, it is impossible to be certain about causation. This means that the safety of talc is still in doubt, but my feeling is that it's better to be safe than sorry. Talc doesn't need to be in cosmetics, as the same oil-absorbing effects can be obtained with plant extracts, such as cornstarch, and in the case of makeup products, the pigment powders themselves work just fine. Talc is included mainly because it's cheap. That's why you won't find talc in any of my products. It's not needed, and I'd rather not take the risk when it comes to the safety of my customers. 

For talc free makeup, take a look at these products!

Resources: 
https://www.asbestos.com/products/talcum-powder/ 
https://www.asbestos.com/products/makeup/ 
​https://www.ewg.org/skindeep/ingredients/706427-TALC/ 
Serous Ovarian Cancer Caused by Exposure to Asbestos and Fibrous Talc in Cosmetic Talc Powders-A Case Series
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